From cars to home appliances to food and much more, Asian parents are acquiring products to provide the best to their children.

Our ethnographic journey across Asia to understand parenthood showed us how children influence product acquisition, sometime even before they are born. Parents in Singapore begin to buy insurance soon after a child is born. Vietnamese parents buy washing machines so the child can have soft clean clothes to wear and Pilipino parents buy boxes of snacks to keep their child happy.

This is not about pester power. Whether more maternal indulgent cultures like Philippines or more paternal task oriented parents from Vietnam, they all buy products for a better life for their children. As most markets in Asia are developing markets, the idea of betterment of next generation is very real and a consistent motivator.

For marketers in Asia it is an important aspect to consider in marketing and communication. So not just for snacks but for furniture and electronics the Asian child cannot be ignored.